Vending machine for grocery commodities and the like



W. A. GOUDEAU. VENDING MACHINE FOR GROCERY COMMODITIES AND WE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, I920- V Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

In H M UH II II WzZZa/z Jazzizm,

W. J. GOUDEAU. VENDING MACHINE FOR GROCERY COMMODITIES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18,]920.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

4 $HEETSSHEET 2- J. GOUDEAU.

W. VENDING MACHINE FOR GROCERY COMMODITIES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8. 1920.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

4 SHLETSSHEET 3.

W. I. GOUDEAU. VENDING MACHINE FOR GROCERY COMMODITIES AND THE LIKEAPPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, I920.

1922 4 SHEEI'SSHEET 4.

Patented Jan. 17,

wa m

UNITED STATE? PATENT OFFICE.

WILTON J. GOUDEAU, OF GRIDER, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEE J.QUINN, 0F GRIDER, ARKANSAS.

VENDING MACHINE FOR GROCERY COMMODITIES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed September 18, 1920.

To all whom it may concern N I Be it known that I, IVILToN J. (JQUDEAU,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Grider, in the county ofMississippi and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vending Machines for Grocery Commodities and the like,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved vending machine,coin controlled for dispensingvarious grocery commodities. such ascanned, boxed and bottled goods and the like. thereby affording what maybe termed a self-serving grocery store, where all goods in packages,bottles and the like can be sold.

In fact, the invention also contemplates a machine by which cold drinks,perishable merchandise and similar articles can be sold.

Also, the invention provides an endless commodity serving meansincluding a mechanism. coin controlled, for automatically locking theserving means, whereby only one basket at a time may be exposedin frontof the door opening, it being the aim that the door must be closed andthen again opened before it is possible for another full basket to beexposed in front of the door opening, therefore, it is immaterial as tothe contents of the baskets.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, aswill be hereinafter set forth. shown in the drawings and claimed In thedrawings Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the improved vendingmachine, for dispensing various grocery articles and the like, showingthe various delivery bars, thereby indicating that the apparatuscontains a plurality ofcompartments, and serving means so that variousarticles can be vended.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing thevarious serving or carrier means for the articles, and also-the lockmechanism for the delivery doors.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the compartments showing the lockmechanism for the door thereof, and illustrating the upper part of thecompartment broken away to show the carrier or serving means includingthe baskets.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Serial No. 411,185.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the coincontrolled mechamsm.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2, showing theidea that one of the side uprights of the housing has a plurality ofcompartments, in which various -arrier or serving means are located.

Figure 6 1s a sectional view through the trunk or passage, through whichthe endless serving or carrier means passes.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 7 of Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of a frag mentary portion of the guidefor the slide or pull lever of the coin controlled lock mechanism.

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of a carrier basket to be carriedby one of the endless serving means or chains.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a receptacle to be carried by one ofthe endless chains or serving means.

Figure 11 is a modified form of the receptacle to becarried by andbetween two adjacent endless chains or serving means.

Figure 12 is a perspective View of a plate having clips and adapted tobe carried by an endless chain or serving means, so that smallerarticles may be clamped to the plate.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of a receptacle having a lid, to becarried by one of the endless serving means or chains.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a suitable housing which may beany height, width and depth, and any suitable c onfiguration, preferablyas shown.

'F or instance, the housing comprises upright portions 2 and 3 havingcompartments 4 and 5, wherein the endless serving or carrier meansoperate. These compartments 4: and 5 may be constructed in series, infact in great numbers, to accommodate the number of diiferent'articlesto be Vended or sold. The compartments through which the perishablearticles are adapted to travel may have cooling pipes, such as indicatedat 6 in Figs. 2 and 5, for the purpose of refrigerating such articles.These cooling pipes may be of the usual character, for instance strongbrine may be allowed to pass through the pipes, receiving the supplyfrom any suitable source not shown, so that the exterior of the pipesmay become thickly frosted, thereby cooling the passages or and thearticles place carriers or serving means. Where the balconies 7 connectsthe two upright portions 2 and 3 of the housing additional counters 9are provided. These counters 9 are immediately adjacent openings 10 and11 of the upper parts of the upright portions of the housing. Thearticles to be vended are first placed u on the counters 9, after beingremoved rom their boxes, and are then placed, when necessary, in thebaskets of'the carriers.

It is to be noted that certain of the lower balconies 7 are designed tobe used as stock floors, for the storage of various articles to bevended.

While the drawings do not illustrate the coin controlled lock mechanismfor controlling the carriers or serving means at various floors of abuilding, it is obvious that a buildin may be constructed with manyfloors, an carriers or serving means are employed, so that they may beunlocked and allowed to operate from every other floor, or every two tothree floors, or possibl every fourth floor. In other words the building may have more than one delivery floor, instead of only a singlelower floor for the delivery of articles, when the requisitedenomination of coin is deposited in the chute.

The lower parts of the upright portions 2 and 3 of the housing, upontheir remote faces at their lower portions have counters 12 and 13,which are adjacent the openings 14, throu h which various articles to besold or vende ma be inserted for placement in the basket. 'I he openings14 have doors 15, which are locked by the locks 16, thereby preventingaccess to the baskets after they are all filled.

The lower portions of the adjacent faces of the uprights 2 and 3 havecounters 17, where the customers are served, after havin deposited therequisite amount in the coin chutes. The upright portions 2 and 3 arespaced and may be-any suitable length, and may contain many compartmentsaccording to the demand of the goods to be sold. In fact, the connectingof the two uprights 2 and 3 by the balconies causes to be formed arches,through which the customers pass. The customers in passing under thearches may stop at the various coin chutes, according to the articlesdesired, and

drop the required denominations of coin in the requisite coin chutes.For instance, a customer may want to buy flour, canned corn or beans orthe like, or some bottled goods, or any perishable article, and in thiscase the required amount of coin may be deposited in the various chutes,in which case the articles will be automatically served. In fact themethod is something on the order of that used in cafeterias, with theexception that the articles, as delivered are bought and paid for as thecustomer passes through the arch, instead of receiving the article andthen aying at a cashiers desk. Also in this met 0d, the article cannotbe received until the required amount is 'deposited in the coin chute.Any number of, coin controlled combination lock mechanism for the doorsleading to the compartments may be employed, it being understoodhowever, that the mechanism to be operated by a smaller denomination ofcoin, such as one cent may be differently proportioned to the mechanismto be operated by a higher denomination of coin such as a quarter,halfdollar and dollar. Otherwise, the construction of the variousmechanisms are identical, hence the construction of only one mechanismis herein described.

Referring to the combination lock mechanism for the delivery. drawer, itwill be seen that the housing has a guide 18 for the slide or pull lever19. In order to provide the guide 18, the upright portion of the housinghas a lateral extension 20, constructed on the shelf 21. A coin. chute22 is mounted upon the lateral extension and has a coin passage 23. Thispassage is formed through the extension 20, soas to permit of thepassage of the coin 24. The bottom 25 of the passage is inclined, so asto cause the coin 24 to roll toward the coin tube or chute 26. One ofthe side walls of the coin passage 23 is provided with a ledge 28 havinga pair of stops 29 and 30. The same side wall of the horizontal portionof the coin passage 23 has an additional ledge or shoulder 31, whichacts to guide the slide or pull-lever l9, and pivoted on one/side of theslide or pull-lever 19 as at ,32 is a dog 33 provided with a beveled end34. The end of the dog 33, when the slide or pullslever 19 is in areseated or normal position, engages the stop shoulder 29, and preventsthe lever 19 from being actuated. Fastened securely at 35 on one side ofthe dog and positioned directly above the incline 25 is a coin engaged"guide 36. This guide 36 is inclined relatively to the side orpull-lever and to the incline 25, so that when the coin travels theinclination 25, it will become positioned under the coin guide 36, andacts to cam the dog, upwardly when the pull-lever is actuated outwardly.A light'coil spring 37 is connected to the rear portion of the slide orpull-lever 19 as at 38, and in turn is connected to one of the screws35, thereby actuating to hold the dog normally in engagement with thestop shoulder 29. A supporting arm 9 is secured at 40 to the front wallof the upright portion of the housing, and connected to the downturnedend 41 of said arm 39 is a tension coil spring 42, which in turn isconnected to the slide or pull-lever, holding the spring in its normalposition.

Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings it is obvious that the coincontrolled lock mechanism for the door 44 and its connection with theserving means is to this side of the serving means. In other words theratchets 58 and 59 and their attendant cooperating parts are on thisside of the sprocket 53 and carried by the shaft 49, and in this case itis obvious that the door .44 is designed to be wide enough, so as toafford connections with said wheels. The idea of designing the parts inthis manner, is to permit the serving or carrier means to operatethrough a trunkor passage 80, and it is obvious that the door 44, whenopen permits access to the interior of this trunk passage, so as toremove the contents of the receptacles carried by the endless servingmeans. Vhen a coin is deposited in the chute, and the slide orpull-lever is actuated, the endless chain or serving means is operatedto move a receptacle to a position opposite to or in the rear of thecenter of the door opening 43, as shown clearly in Figures 3 and 6. Inorder to prevent access to the receptacle, basket or other articleholding'means above the one in registration with the opening, a pair oftrap doors 81' are movably mounted in the trunk at a point immediatelyabove the door opening 43. These trap doors 81 are hingedly mounted inthe trunk, so as to move downwardly, "when a receptacle 0 basketcontacts therewith. The hinge m untings 82 include tension springs 83acting to return the trap doors to their normal positions, after thepassage of the basket or receptacle. It Wlll be noted that these trapdoors are so mounted as to abut the walls of the trunk, to hold them inposition. Any other suitable or similar means may be used for preventingaccess to the receptacle or baskets above those which are adjacent thedelivery door.

The counter or base 17 is disposed immediately under the shelf 21, andthe front wall of the upright portion of the hous ng is provided with anopening 43, there being a door 44 hingedly mounted at 45 on the top 46of the counter 17, for the purpose of closing the opening 43. hen thecoin controlled lock mechanism is actuated, the door 44 1s swung open,downwardly on the top of the counter 17. In order to accomplish this. alink 47 connects the door and the inner end of the slide 19, therefore,it is obvious that when the slide 19 is pulled outwardly, the door 44will swing downwardly, therefore,

when the opening 43 is open, the basket onthe endless carrier or servingmeans will be exposed, and from which the desired commodity may beremoved. The door 44 has a suitable handle 50 which engages a depression51 of the top 46 of the counter 17, when the door 44 is swung open.

Mounted in bearings, of the upper and lower portions of the side wallsof the upright portions 2 and 3.0f the housing are shafts 48 and 49,which carry sprockets 52 and 53, about which the endless carriers orserving members 54 travel. These endless carriers comprise chains, andconnecting the chains of each carrier are rods 55, on which the carrierbaskets 56 are pivotally mounted as at 57. These carrier baskets aredesigned to contain grocery articles,-to be vended.

In Figure 10 a receptacle 56 is employed, instead of the basket, and inthis case the receptacle is carried by a single endless chain or carrier54. In Figure 11 a receptacle 56 is shown, and which is designed to becarried between opposite portions of two chains, in a manner similar tothe connection with the basket. InFigure 12 a plate 56 having clips 56.is provided, and is designed to be connected to a single carrying chain.In this case the article to be vended is clamped between the clips tothe plate. In Figure 13 another modified form of receptacle 56 is shown,to be used instead of the basket or any of the'other receptacles. Inthis case the receptacle has a lid or cover 56*. Any of thesereceptacles may be used upon the endless carriers or serving means, orany other suitable article holders may be employed.

Each of the lower shafts 49 has mounted thereon a pair of ratchet wheels58 and 59. The teeth 60 of the ratchetwheel '58 are revcrsely disposed-,to the teeth 61 of the ratchet wheel 59. A lever dog 62 is mountedpivotally on the pin 63 which pivotally connects the link 47 to thedoor. The lever dog 62 has its tooth 64 in engagement with the teeth 60of the ratchet wheel 58, so that when the door is opened by manipulatingthe slide or pull-lever 19, the lever dog 62 imparts an intermittentmotion to the ratchet 58 and the shaft 49, therebyimparting anintermittent motion to the endless carrier or serving chains 54, so asto move a basket in registration with the opening 43,

A dog 65 is pivotally mounted at 66 on a projection 67, which extendsfrom the wall of the interior of the upright. The tail of the shank ofthe dog 65 terminates in a curved portion 68, which ispivotally-connected at 69 to the link 70. The linlt 65 is normally outof engagement with the teeth 61 of the ratchet 59. The terminal of thecurved portion 68 is yieldable in order to permit the dog 65 toyieldably bear on the ratchet wheel. It will be noted that when the door44 is opened a ulling action will be imparted to the link 0, therebytilting the dog 65 and causing it to engage in front of the teeth 61 ofthe ratchet 59, thereby preventing excessive movement of the ratchet 59and the shaft 49. A suitable brake ai'm 72 is fastened to the bottom ofthe upright, and has its upper terminal bearing yieldable upon theratchet 58, hence preventing the carrier or serving means from movingtoo rapidly. The coin tube or chute 26 connects with the coin box 73,for the reception of the coin when the slide lever is actuated.

In the operation the customers may pass through the space between thetwo uprights of the housing and make their selections of the articles ondisplay, which may be clearly seen through the sight-glasses 74.' Infact, the names of the various articles to be purchased will be printedupon cards or the like placed above the sight glasses. The customerafter making the selection of the articles to be needed, places a coinin the chute, after which the coin will roll upon the incline 25 andbecome positioned under the guide 36. The slide or pull-lever may thenbe pulled outwardly, in which casethe guide 36 will cam upon the edge ofthe coin, and cause the dog to be lifted until its end portion 34 isfree of the shoulder 29, then the dog 33 will slide upon the ledge 28between the shoulders 29 and 31. The slide or pull lever may be movedoutwardly sufliciently to move the door to a horizontal position on thetop 46 of the counter 17, through themedium of the link 27. The ends 34of the dog 33 will contact with the shoulder 31 and limit the slide orpull lever in its outward movement, atthe same time the door reachesaposition resting upon the top 46 of the counter 17. When the door is sopositioned, the lever dog 62 will impart an intermittent movement to theratchet 58 and the shaft 49, imparting an intermittent rotary motion tothe carrier or serving chains. This intermittent movement of the carrieris sufficient to bring one of the serving baskets in registration withthe opening 43. A customer may reach through the opening 43, and removefrom the serving basket the article purchased. In order to cause thecarrier to receive a second intermittent motion, it is first necessaryto close the door, and then drop another coin in the chute in order tounlock the slide or pull lever. After the slide or pull-lever isunlocked, it may then be operated the second time, or as many times as acoin is allowed to pass through the coin passage to assume a osition inengagement with the guide 36.

hen the door 44 is opened a tilting movement is imparted to the dog 65causing it to engage in front of one of the teeth 61 of the ratchet 59,thereby preventing overrunning movement of the carrier.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis 1. In a vending machine of the kind set forth, a housing, an endlesscarrier mounted therein, said housing having a door controlled opening,and means operatively connecting the door and the carrier for impartingan intermittent mot-ion to the carrier, for registering a carrier basketwit-h the door opening.

2. In a vending machine of the kind set forth, a housing, an endlesscarrier mounted therein, said housing having a door controlled opening,means operatively connecting the door and the carrier for imparting anintermittent motion to the carrier, for registering a carrier basketwith the door opening, and means operated by the door and operativelyconnecting with the member of a carrier for preventing overrunningmovement of the carrier.

3. In a vending machine of the kind set forth, a housing, an endlesscarrier mounted therein, said housing having a door controlled opening,means operatively connecting the door and the carrier for imparting anintermittent motion to the carrier, for registering a carrier basketwith the door opening, said carrier including a rotating shaft, aratchet member on said shaft, and means operatively connected to thedoor and adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet when the door isopened, to prevent overrunning movement of the carrier.

4. In a machine as set forth, a housing having a compartment, an endlesscarrier operable therein, a door opening for said compartment, a doortherefor, a slide mounted in a guide of the housing and having a linkconnecting with the door, whereby upon movement of the slide the doormay be opened for exposing the articles contained in a basket of thecarrier, and means connected'to the door and in turn having an operativeratchet connecting means with the carrier for imparting an intermittentmotion thereto when the door is opened.

5. In a machine for the purpose indicated, a housingohaving acompartment, an endless carrier operable therein, a slide mounted inguides of the housing, means for looking the slide, said compartmenthaving a door opening, a door therefor, a link connecting the slide withthe door, whereby upon movement of the slide subsequently to its havingbeen. unlocked, the doormay be opened for exposing the article carriedby the carrier, and means connecte to the door and in turn having anoperative connecting means with the carrier for imparting anintermittent motion thereto when the door is opened. 1

6. In a vending machine, a housing having an opening to'permit accessthereinto, .a closure for said opening, a reciprocating actuator mountedin guides of the housing, spring means opefratively connected to theactuator for holding it retracted, said operative connections betweenthe spring means and the actuator being in turn connected to.

the closure, whereby upon manually moving said actuator the closure maybe opened, a IIlOVll'l provid means operatively connecting the closureand the carrier for imparting an intermittent motion to the latter,whereby a contain'er will register with the opening.

carrier mounted in the housing and ed with a plurality of containers,

member of the carrier for preventing overrunning movement of thecarrier.

8. In a vending machine, a housing provided with an opening to permit ofaccess to the interior of the housing, a closure for said opening, meansfor actuating said closure to an open position, means for locking saidclosure actuating means, a moving carrier operatively mounted in thehousing, means operatively connecting the closure and the carrierwhereby an intermittent motion may be imparted to the latter forregistering a container of the carrier with said opening,

means operated by the closure and operatively connecting with a memberof the carrier to prevent an overrunning movement of the carrier, andmeans for restoring the 010- sure'actuatin'g means and closure, wherebythe carrier operating means may renew its operating connections withsaid member of the carrier, and whereby the overrunning prevention meansmay be released.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

- WILTON J. GOUDEAII. V

